Game apparatus.



No. 669,826. Patented'uan I2, lem.

J. e. FLoYn. GAME APPARATUS.

(Application filed Nov. 2, 1900.)

(No Modal.)

N c N zN a /NvE/vo/ lillllllmllllll me Ncnms persas ca, Puotoumo., wAsmNG-rom n. c.

no STATES JOHN G. FLOYD, OF MASTIO, NEV YORK.

GANI E APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,826, dated March 12, 1901.

Application filed November 2,1900. Serial No. 35,235. (No modelo To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. FLOYD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Mastic, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York,haveinvented a new and Improved Game Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

rlhe purpose of this invention is to provide an apparatus which will afford amusement in an athletic game for either indoor or outdoor use,which game apparatus comprises a course defined at its ends by goals, in which course a ball is to be placed, and players arranged in opposing teams are to have for their object to protect their respective goals and prevent their opponents forcing a ball past the goal.

Anotherpurpose is to so construct the game apparatus that it may be quicklyset up in a room or on a lawn and as readily and convenien tly removed without material detriment t the surface upon which it is placed.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts,as will be hereinafter fully set forth,and pointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the game apparatus set up on a lawn, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of said game apparatus; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the goal-posts, illustrating said post as provided with a base particularly adapted to hold the post upright upon a plain or carpeted iioor.

Two parallel strips A of canvas, netting, or the like material constitute the body portion of the game apparatus. These strips are usually about twelve inches high, and when the game apparatus is to be placed upon a lawn said strips are preferably about forty eight feet in length. When the game apparatus is to be set up indoors, the strips may be twenty-four feet in length or of any length suitable for an available space. These strips A are placed about three feet apart and are drawn taut longitudinally through the medium of goal-posts B, which posts are attached to the ends of the strips or are passed through eyes or loops 10 formed therein. When the said goahposts are driven into the ground. The goalposts B at opposite ends of the course C, which is `the space between the strips A, are painted in different colors-as, for example, the goal-posts at one end of the course may have a red color and the posts at the opposite end of the course a blue color. The strips A are heldin position intermediate of their ends by stakes 1l, which are passed through eyes l2, attached to the strips A, and when the game apparatus is set up out ot' doors these stakes 1l are also driven in the ground to such an extent that their upper edges will not extend above the upper edges of the strips A, delining the said course O.

The stakes 11 are preferably placed at certain intervals apart-as, for example, the space between a goal B andan adjacent stake l1 is four feet, while the space between the iirst stake 11 and the next intermediate stake and between the following intermediate stakes is ten feet. Therefore one pair of stakes ll is located at the central portion of the course O, and on the said course, between these central stakes,the ball 14 is placed when a game is to commence.

The sections of the course are clearly deiined by marks on each of the longitudinal strips. The game is played with straight sticks three to four feet long,with which sticks the players are provided to drive the ball 14 when the ball comes within their reach. When the gameapparatns is to be set up in a room, the goal-posts B and the stakes 11 are provided with a properly-weighted base l5, as shown in Fig. 3, and spurs or points 16 may be formed upon or attached to the bottom of the base 15, which spurs or points upon entering the carpet or floor will serve to hold the goal-posts and the stakes upright.

In the play tive goals make a game. The game may be played by either siX or ten persons at one time-that is, three or live on each side to make a team; but in the event of a larger party being present any number of persons may be allowed to a team, and they can play alternately in different positions, as may be decided upon. The teams may be designated the blue and the red, and it is the duty of each team to defend its own goal by not permitting the ball to be driven through game apparatus is set up out of doors, the l its goal by any individual of the opposing IOO When the game commences, the b'alllfiv is placed at the center ofthecourse C, as shown in defending his goal'. Each player ofa team,

except the leader, takes a certaindesignated` position on onefside of the course, andthe player is not supposed'to'move from that po sition or to lift the feetfrom the 'ground while striling at the ball. Should such regulations binfringed u pon, certainpenalties are to be' imposedp However, when only six are play-A ing, three on each side, the central p'la'yers'v opposite each other m ay move bacland forth, as hereinafter stated.

in F-ig. 2, and the leading player of each team, located opposite' the center A-of Y.the course, which players may be termedfthe captains of the teams, take positions at the` rea-r. of their respective teams, whichV positions are designated as 1S in Figs. l and 2. In taking such positions the captains ofthe-teamsf'ace away from the c oiirse,'and.at| a'signal or'word from the umpirethese centralplayers face j about, approach the course, and eachwillen- Y l K deavor to drive-the ball le in direction o'f the 5o goal Yofhis :opponents team. The players of the several teams endeavor either to lretard the ball orjtodrive it to Ythe desired-destina! tion.

.If'the ballfjumps-out .of the course -or if' through any infringement of the rules agoal Ahas, been gained, but cannot be countedfrthat round of the gameis to be started over again on the lines above set forth. f

It will `be observed that by reason-of the rules requiring the players not to move from ceases .1

tral' ones when six are playing, and that the feet shall not'be lifted from the ground many muscles`heretofore unexerei'sed are health- -fully brought into play, while at the same time the game aords much amusement.-

When the game apparatus is setup in a room, eachpair of goal-posts may be connect- 4ed by cross-bars 17, placed at the tops of said fposts and also at--any points lower down 'in the interest of firmness. When but six playtwo leaders inthe-center, opposite each other, 'are permitted to move back and forth within Vcertain limits--thaltis, Yto the next stop or ofthem' 'Y A "'I-Iaving thus described v-my invention, I

f Y mark ori th'eiwalls;of-thewcourse on either side Patentf "A gaine. apparatus', consisting of parallel strips having aspace-between them, cons tituting a course, .goal-posts attached toY the ends of thes'aid stri-ps and arranged-for connection Withthe,support upon,v w-hich.the strips'rest, the goal-posts extending aboveV the upper edges of the strips, and stakes-attached to the vsaid `strips -intermediate of their ends and connected with the supporton which the strips rest, which stake's'terminate at'or near l the upper edges of the said strips, for the purpose setiforth.V F A l In-'testimonywhereof II have signed my name tofthis' specificationin the presence of ,two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN e. FLOYD.

l Witnesses: Y'

FRED.- ACKER, JNO. M-. RITTER.

.the positions rst taken, ercept the two cen jers are vin the game," three on each side, the' c laim las new and desire-to secu re by Letters 

